U.S. patent number 7,185,383 [Application Number 11/218,839] was granted by the patent office on 2007-03-06 for brush section for a powered toothbrush.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Colgate-Palmolive Company. Invention is credited to Eyal Eliav, John J. Gatzemeyer.
United States Patent |
7,185,383 |
Gatzemeyer , et al. |
March 6, 2007 |
Brush section for a powered toothbrush
Abstract
A brush section for use in a powered toothbrush, and a powered
toothbrush utilizing the brush section are provided. The brush
section has a generally disk shaped carrier from which extends at
least one finger that has oral care elements, i.e., bristles and
elastomeric cleaning members, extending outwardly therefrom to
provide increased contact area between the oral care cleaning
elements and oral gingival tissue for enhanced massaging
thereof.
Inventors: |
Gatzemeyer; John J.
(Hillsborough, NJ), Eliav; Eyal (New York, NY) |
Assignee: |
Colgate-Palmolive Company (New
York, NY)
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Family
ID: |
32029600 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/218,839 |
Filed: |
September 2, 2005 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20060000038 A1 |
Jan 5, 2006 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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10260051 |
Sep 27, 2002 |
6944901 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/28;
15/22.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C
17/349 (20130101); A61C 17/3436 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A46B
13/02 (20060101); A61C 17/34 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;15/22.1,22.2,28 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Chin; Randall
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Park; Ellen K.
Parent Case Text
This is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/260,051, filed
Sep. 27, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,901, which is incorporated by
reference in its entirety in this present application.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A brush section for a powered toothbrush having a drive device,
the brush section comprising: a carrier having a first tooth care
element region including a face and at least one tooth care element
extending from said face; the carrier further comprising a second
tooth care element region extending longitudinally from said first
tooth care element region, said second tooth care element region
being arcuate shaped substantially downward in the direction of a
neck portion and includes at least one elastomeric tooth care
element extending therefrom; wherein said first and second tooth
care element regions move in the same path of motion; and wherein
said carrier is driven to oscillate about a pivot axis that extends
perpendicular to said face of said first tooth care element
region.
2. The brush section of claim 1, wherein the carrier is generally
egg-shaped.
3. The brush section of claim 1, wherein the first tooth care
element region has a planar surface and the second tooth care
element region has a sloped surface.
4. The brush section of claim 1, further comprising a head, wherein
the head includes a carrier support platform disposed below the
carrier.
5. The brush section of claim 1, wherein the second tooth care
elements-region comprises a plurality of elastomeric fingers that
are angled relative to the at least one tooth care element of the
first tooth care element region.
6. The brush section of claim 1, wherein the tooth care elements
comprise at least one upstanding elastomeric wall.
7. The brush section of claim 6, wherein the at least one
upstanding elastomeric wall comprises a plurality of spaced
elastomeric walls.
8. The brush section of claim 7, wherein the plurality of
elastomeric walls have different heights.
9. The brush section of claim 1, wherein the first tooth care
element region comprises a plurality of bristle tufts.
10. The brush section of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first
and second tooth care element regions includes a plurality of
elastomeric fingers.
11. The brush section of claim 1, wherein the face extends across
both of the first and second tooth care element regions.
12. The brush section of claim 11, wherein said face has a
non-circular or non-oval shape.
13. The brush section of claim 1, wherein said second tooth care
element region is in the form of a finger member extending
longitudinally from the first tooth care element region to the
proximal end.
14. A powered toothbrush comprising: a handle having a distal end
and a brush section provided at a proximal end, the brush section
further comprising a carrier having a first tooth care element
region including a face and at least one tooth care element
extending from said face; the carrier further comprising a second
tooth care element region extending longitudinally from said first
tooth care element region, said second tooth care element region
being arcuate shaped substantially downward in the direction of a
neck portion and including at least one elastomeric tooth care
element extending therefrom; wherein said first and second tooth
care element regions move in the same path of motion; and wherein
said carrier is driven by a drive device to oscillate about a pivot
axis that extends perpendicular to said face of said first tooth
care element region.
15. The powered toothbrush of claim 14, further comprising a head,
wherein the head includes a carrier support platform disposed below
the carrier, the carrier support platform having an opening formed
therein for receiving a base section of the carrier which engages
the drive device for driving the carrier.
16. The powered toothbrush of claim 15, wherein the base section is
attached at one end to the face of the carrier and an opposite end
extends below the carrier support platform through the opening
formed therein.
17. The powered toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the drive device
further comprises a drive shaft, and wherein an underside of the
second tooth care element region of the carrier has a hollow
section to accommodate movement of the drive shaft.
18. The powered toothbrush of claim 14, further comprising a head,
wherein the head includes a carrier support platform disposed below
the carrier.
19. The powered toothbrush of claim 18, wherein the base section is
attached at one end to the face of the carrier and an opposite end
extends below the carrier support platform through the opening
formed therein.
20. The powered toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the second tooth
care elements region comprises a plurality of elastomeric fingers
that are angled relative to the at least one tooth care element of
the first tooth care element region.
21. The powered toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the tooth care
elements comprise at least one upstanding elastomeric wall.
22. The powered toothbrush of claim 21, wherein the at least one
upstanding elastomeric wall comprises a plurality of spaced
elastomeric walls.
23. The powered toothbrush of claim 22, wherein the plurality of
elastomeric walls have different heights.
24. The powered toothbrush of claim 14, wherein at least one of the
first and second tooth care element regions includes a plurality of
elastomeric fingers.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a powered toothbrush, and more
particularly, to a brush section having a partially disk-shaped
carrier that includes one or more tooth care elements (i.e.,
bristles or elastomeric members) extending therefrom to provide
increased contact with the teeth and/or the oral gingival tissue
for enhanced massaging thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Toothbrushes provide many oral hygiene benefits. For example,
toothbrushes remove plaque and food debris to help avoid tooth
decay and disease. They remove stained pellicle from the surface of
each tooth to help whiten the teeth. Also, the bristles combined
with the brushing motion will massage the gingival tissue for
stimulation and increased health of the tissue.
Powered toothbrushes have been available for some time. Powered
toothbrushes have advantages over manual (non-powered) toothbrushes
in that they impart movement to the bristles at much higher speeds
than possible manually. They also may impart different types and
directions of motion. These motions, generally in combination with
manual movement of the toothbrush by the user, provide superior
cleaning than manual toothbrushes. Typically, powered toothbrushes
are powered by disposable or rechargeable batteries that power an
electric motor that in turn drives the toothbrush head.
Known powered toothbrushes include a brush head with a bristle
carrier portion that rotates, oscillates or vibrates in some manner
so as to clean the teeth. The bristles, which typically comprise
bristle tufts, are generally uniform with one end fixed into the
bristle carrier portion and the other end free to contact the
surface of the teeth while brushing. The free ends of the various
tufts present a surface envelope that is capable of some
deformation when the bristles bend. When in contact with the
surface to be brushed, the bristles may deform so that the surface
envelope tends to conform to the complex surface of the teeth.
Human teeth generally lie in a "C" shaped curve within the upper
and lower jaws. Individual teeth often have extremely complex
surfaces, with areas that may be flat, concave, or convex. The more
precise conformation between the bristles and the tooth surface,
the more effective the toothbrush may be in cleaning, whitening and
stimulating.
Known powered toothbrushes typically arrange the bristles in a
compact conical or cylindrical pattern on a generally circular,
disk-shaped bristle carrier. The powered toothbrush heads are
traditionally compact, generally oval in shape and the heads are
produced with a flat trimmed bristle pattern. Alternatively, other
head shapes and bristle patterns are available.
One example of a powered toothbrush known in the art is depicted in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,916 to McDougall, which is hereby incorporated
by reference in its entirety. The toothbrush shown in McDougall has
a disc-shaped bristle carrier. The bristle carrier, and thus the
bristles, are driven in a vibrating or oscillating manner. This
type of toothbrush is described herein with reference to FIGS. 1A
1C. A toothbrush 5 comprises a handle portion 10 at a proximal end
of the toothbrush 5 and a head 11 at a distal end of the toothbrush
5. The handle portion 10 has compartments for containing a powered
motor 14 and batteries 15 and 16. The head 11 includes a generally
circular bristle holder (carrier) 13. A rotatable shaft 12 extends
from the motor 14 to the head 11. A shaft coupling 17 may be
located along the shaft 12 and configured to provide for the shaft
12 to be separated at a point between the motor 14 and the head 11.
This permits the shaft to be removed from the toothbrush 5, e.g.,
for cleaning, servicing, or replacement.
The head 11 includes a post 18 that provides a rotational pivot
axis for the bristle holder 13 containing bristle tufts 19. The
distal end of the shaft 12 has a journal or offset 20 that is
radially displaced from the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12. The
bristle holder 13 has a slot 22 that receives the offset 20. The
offset 20 and slot 22 are configured so as to be oriented toward
the intersection of the shaft 12 axis and the longitudinal axis of
the post 18. When the motor 14 rotates the shaft 12, the motion of
the offset 20 defines a circle about the shaft 12 axis and
drivingly engages the slot 22 such that the bristle holder 13
vibrates or oscillates about the post 18 axis through a rotational
angle A. The rotational angle A is defined by the displacement of
the offset 20 from the shaft 12 axis relative to the diameter of
the bristle holder 13.
Powered toothbrushes such as those described immediately above
provide advantages over manual toothbrushes, but are subject to
various limitations because of the relatively small head size.
Providing a rotating or oscillating bristle holder (carrier) with a
typical oblong or oval toothbrush head constrains the size of the
moving bristle holder, and consequently the area of bristles
available for teeth cleaning. Also, when the bristles are placed in
contact with the teeth during brushing, there is less bristle
contact with adjacent areas, such as the gums, resulting in minimal
stimulation of the gingival tissue.
One attempt to overcome the limitations of a small powered bristle
area is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,083 to Blaustein et al. The
toothbrush in Blaustein et al. has a bristle area and pattern
similar to a manual toothbrush, but an area of the bristles has
simply been replaced by a powered bristle section. The result is
that the head has a powered or moving bristle section and static
bristle section. The limitation of the toothbrush of Blaustein et
al. is that the static bristle section provides no better cleaning,
whitening or stimulation than a manual toothbrush.
International Application No. PCT/EP01/07615 of Braun GmbH
discloses a powered toothbrush with two separate, movable bristle
sections. Each bristle section may have a different range and type
of motion. The toothbrush of Braun, however, discloses only one
powered bristle section. The other unpowered bristle section moves
due to a resonance effect imparted by the frequency of the movement
of the first bristle section.
This free resonance presents a number of difficulties. First,
because any contact between the bristle parts will dampen or cancel
any resonance of the unpowered bristle part, the unpowered bristle
section "floats" separately from the powered bristle section and
the rest of the toothbrush head. This necessitates separation or
gaps between them. These gaps expose the internal workings of the
head to foreign matter such as water, saliva, toothpaste, and food
particles. This foreign matter may interfere with the workings of
the unpowered bristle head. For example, the unpowered bristle part
is spring-loaded to assist its resonance. Foreign matter may
accumulate on or around the spring, interfering with its function.
In addition, food particles may remain in the head and may fester
and host microorganisms, which are undesirable if not potentially
harmful when introduced directly into the mouth.
Another limitation of such a design is that movement of the
unpowered bristle section may be damped by contact with the teeth,
or lessened when the frequency of the powered section shifts from
the resonance frequency. This can occur due to pressure imparted
against the powered bristle section by the teeth or gums during
brushing. An additional limitation is that the energy imparted to
the unpowered bristle section is only a portion of the energy input
into the powered section. Therefore, the unpowered bristle section
is less effective in cleaning than the powered section, limiting
the overall effectiveness of the toothbrush.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a powered toothbrush with
increased effectiveness through a larger area of powered or driven
bristles than known powered toothbrushes. There is also a need for
a toothbrush having increased whitening and stimulation than known
toothbrushes. There is a further need for such improved
toothbrushes to be comparable in manufacturing and purchasing costs
as known powered toothbrushes.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a
powered toothbrush which avoids the deficiencies and limitation of
the known related art.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a powered
toothbrush which enhances the cleaning effectiveness of the
toothbrush head.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
powered toothbrush which enhances the whitening effectiveness of
the toothbrush head.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a
powered toothbrush which enhances the stimulating effectiveness of
the toothbrush head.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a
powered toothbrush which increases the area of powered driven
bristles or bristles that are otherwise movable from that of the
related art.
Various other objects, advantages and features of the present
invention will become readily apparent from the ensuing detailed
description and the novel features will be particularly pointed out
in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A powered toothbrush and a brush section for a powered toothbrush
are provided. The toothbrush includes a handle portion at a
proximal end and a head at the distal end with a neck disposed
between the handle portion and the head. The head has a movable
bristle carrier that moves across a carrier support platform
provided at the head. The bristle carrier has a first portion
closest to the distal end of the toothbrush, with the first portion
being generally disk-shaped with a circular cross-section. The
circular cross-section is partially interrupted by one or more
protuberances or fingers extending therefrom in a direction toward
the handle and the proximal end of the toothbrush. The bristle
carrier has a face extending across the first portion and across
the one or more fingers. A plurality of bristle tufts and/or
elastomeric members extend outwardly from the face, which has a
shape that is neither circular nor oval.
The handle includes a drive mechanism which is drivingly engaged to
the bristle carrier, whereby in use the bristle carrier is
oscillatingly or reciprocatingly driven, the bristles and/or
elastomeric members on the one or more fingers provide increased
contact with the oral gingival tissues for enhanced massaging
thereof.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent from the foregoing detailed description when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be
more readily apparent from the following detailed description and
drawings of illustrative embodiments of the invention in which:
FIG. 1A is a front cross-sectional view of a conventional powered
toothbrush including a head;
FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional side view of the toothbrush
head of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 1C is a partial cross-sectional front view of the toothbrush
head of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a powered
toothbrush in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention wherein a brush section thereof has a generally
egg-shaped face;
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a section of the toothbrush
head including the brush section having the generally egg-shaped
face illustrated in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the toothbrush head of FIG. 3
with parts broken away to illustrate the engagement of a drive
structure with the brush section;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG.
4;
FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a section of another
preferred embodiment of a toothbrush head in accordance with the
present invention for use with the powered toothbrush of FIG.
2;
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the toothbrush head
illustrated in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a section of another
preferred embodiment of a toothbrush head in accordance with the
present invention for use with the powered toothbrush of FIG.
2;
FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the toothbrush head
illustrated in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an elastomeric contact element
having a first configuration and adapted for use in the toothbrush
head;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an elastomeric contact element
having a second configuration and adapted for use in the toothbrush
head;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an elastomeric contact element
having a third configuration and adapted for use in the toothbrush
head;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an elastomeric contact element
having a fourth configuration and adapted for use in the toothbrush
head; and
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an elastomeric contact element
having a fifth configuration and adapted for use in the toothbrush
head.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE
PRESENT INVENTION
Referring first to FIGS. 2 through 5, an exemplary powered
toothbrush according to a first embodiment is illustrated and
generally indicated at 100. The toothbrush 100 includes a handle
102 at a proximal end that defines an interior compartment (not
shown) for housing various toothbrush components and a brush
section 104 that is defined by a neck 106 that terminates in a head
120 at a distal end of the toothbrush 100. The handle 102 has a
free proximal end 108 and an opposite neck end 110. The neck 106
generally extends from a first end 112 to a second end 114 and
generally forms the portion of the toothbrush 100 that extends
between the handle 102 and the head 120. The neck 106 also defines
an interior compartment (not shown) for housing various working
components of the toothbrush 100. The head 120 is preferably
generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush
100.
In a preferred embodiment, the neck 106 is integrally formed with
the handle 102. In an alternate embodiment, the neck 106 is
detachable from the handle 102 at the end 110 of the neck 106. In
this alternate embodiment, the combined neck 106 and head 120 can
be removed from the handle 102 to permit cleaning, servicing and/or
interchanging of either the handle 102 or the combined neck 106 and
head 120. When the neck 106 is detachable from the handle 102, the
first neck end 112 can include a connector (not shown) that is
adapted to be detachably joined to the handle 102 using traditional
techniques. It will also be appreciated that the point of
detachment can be between the head 120 and the neck 106 such that
the head 120 is of a refill head type.
It will further be appreciated that the illustrated shapes of the
handle 102 and neck 106 are merely exemplary in nature and the
handle 102 and/or neck 106 can be formed to have any number of
shapes. Preferably, the shape of the handle 102 and the neck 106
are ergonomically pleasing to a user of the toothbrush 100 and
provide a toothbrush which is easily gripped, held, and manipulated
by the user. The handle 102 may include slightly recessed finger
sections 118 which are preferably formed on opposite sides of the
handle 102. One recessed finger section 118 is designed to receive
the thumb of one hand and the other recessed finger section 118 is
designed to receive one or more other fingers of the same hand to
thereby assist the user in proper placement of the toothbrush 100.
One or more of the recessed finger sections 118 may include ribs or
other types of roughened surfaces to further assist gripping by the
user. Such surfaces having acceptable frictional characteristics,
e.g., rubber, are generally known in the art.
According to one embodiment and as best shown in FIG. 2, an upper
surface 107 of the neck 106 is contoured to have a slightly raised
ridge 109 that slopes downwardly toward the head 120. The head 120
of the toothbrush 100 includes a head base 160 that partially
defines an inner compartment 121 (FIG. 4) of the head 120. The head
base 160 can be constructed so that it terminates in a rounded
distal end 162, which actually defines the distal end of the
toothbrush 100. Preferably, the head base 160 is integrally
attached to the second end 114 of the neck 106.
The head base 160 also includes a carrier support platform 170 that
extends substantially across the head 120 from the neck 106 to the
rounded distal end 162. The carrier support platform 170 also
partially defines the inner compartment 121 that is formed within
the head 120. More specifically, the upper surface 107 of the neck
106 smoothly transitions from the ridge 109 to the sloped portion
and then finally to the carrier support platform 170. The carrier
support platform 170 includes a first side 172 and an opposite
second side 174, each of which is preferably planar in nature. The
first side 172 faces the interior compartment 121, which is at
least in partial communication with the inner compartment of the
neck 106, thereby permitting elements to extend through the inner
region of the neck 106 into the inner compartment 121.
The head 120 also includes a movable bristle carrier 180 that has a
first portion 182 that is closest to the distal end of the head
106. The first portion 182 is generally disk-shaped with a circular
cross-section that is partially interrupted by a protuberance or
finger 184 extending therefrom in a direction toward the neck 106.
As illustrated, the finger 184 preferably slopes or ramps downward
in a direction toward the neck 106 so that a rear portion of the
finger 184 seats against the carrier support platform 170. In an
alternative embodiment, there are two or more fingers extending
from the first portion 182.
The movable bristle carrier 180 thus preferably has a face 186 that
extends from and across the first portion 182 to and across the
finger 184 from which one or more tooth care elements 190 extend
outwardly therefrom. The face 186 preferably has at least one
section that is generally sloped. As used herein, the term "tooth
care elements" includes any type of structure that is commonly used
or is suitable for use in providing oral health benefits (e.g.,
tooth cleaning, tooth polishing, tooth whitening, massaging,
stimulating, etc.) by making intimate contact with portions of the
teeth and gums. Such tooth care elements include but are not
limited to tufts of bristles that can be formed to have a number of
different shapes and sizes and elastomeric cleaning members (see
FIGS. 10 14) that can be formed to have a number of different
shapes and sizes, or a combination of both tufts of bristles and
elastomeric cleaning members. Bristle tufts may be arranged on the
face 186 in any configuration and those depicted are exemplary.
Moreover, the bristle tufts may be arranged by any conventional
method such as stapled, IMT, etc. The bristles tufts may be formed
with bristles of the same or different bristle materials (such as
nylon bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, etc.). Moreover,
while the tooth care elements may be arranged so that they are
generally perpendicular to the face 186, some or all of the tooth
care elements may be angled at various angles with respect to the
face 186. When the face 186 includes bristle tufts, it is thereby
possible to select the combination of bristles configurations,
bristle materials and bristle orientations to achieve specific
intended results and operational characteristics thus maximizing
and enhancing cleaning, tooth polishing, tooth whitening,
massaging, and stimulation.
While the movable carrier 180 has been defined as a movable bristle
carrier 180, it will be understood that the movable carrier 180 is
not limited to having only tufts of bristles as a part thereof. The
movable carrier 180 may include any number of suitable tooth care
elements or any number of combinations of different types of tooth
care elements. For example, the movable carrier 180 can include a
number of elastomeric members to provide the desired oral health
benefits. The elastomeric members may be attached to the movable
carrier 180 using conventional techniques, including integrally
forming the elastomeric members with the face 186.
FIGS. 10 14 illustrate various exemplary elastomeric members that
serve as tooth care elements. FIG. 10 shows an elastomeric tooth
care element in the form of a thin spike; FIG. 11 shows an
elastomeric tooth care element in the form of a barrel spike; FIG.
12 shows an elastomeric tooth care element in the form of a
squeegee point; FIG. 13 shows an elastomeric tooth care element in
the form of an angled point; and FIG. 14 shows an elastomeric tooth
care element in the form of a section of an elastomeric wall. The
elastomeric wall of FIG. 14 may take the form of any number of
shapes including but not limited to a linear, planar shape; a
zigzag shape; a serpentine shape, etc. In the many contemplated
embodiments, the elastomeric tooth care elements may have smooth or
rough surface textures. In addition, the wall sections of the
elastomeric tooth care elements may be vertically straight, taper
inward toward one end or expand toward one end. The tops of the
elastomeric tooth care walls may have a planar surface or may have
a protrusion (i.e., hump). While the above describes various
configurations of elastomeric tooth care elements, those skilled in
the art will recognize that virtually any configuration may be
achieved.
It will be appreciated that the various features of the described
embodiments may apply equally to bristle tufts, elastomeric
members, or any combination of bristles and elastomeric members. In
a preferred embodiment, the bristle tufts formed in one or more of
the first portion 182 or the finger 184 may have uniform heights or
non-uniform heights. For example, the bristle tufts disposed in the
first portion 182 may have a first height and the bristle tufts
disposed in the finger 184 may have a second different height.
Further, the heights of the bristle tufts within one of the
respective first portion 182 and the finger 184 may have varying
heights.
Referring to FIGS. 2 5, a plurality of bristle tufts 190 may be
arranged on the face 186. It will be will understood that the
location and arrangement of the bristle tufts 190 in FIGS. 2 4 are
merely exemplary and the bristle tufts 190 may be arranged in any
number of different arrangements on the face 186. In a preferred
embodiment, a first set 191 of bristle tufts is arranged on the
first portion 182 (e.g., in a series of concentric rings) and a
second set 192 of bristle trufts is arranged on the finger 184
(e.g., in a series of rows). Due to its shape, the movable bristle
carrier 180 can be thought of as a generally egg-shaped member
arranged such that the end section with the smaller cross-section
points toward the neck 106 and the handle 102.
The movable bristle carrier 180 is constructed so as to pivot above
the carrier support platform 170, thereby effectuating movement of
the bristle tufts 190 that extend outwardly from the face 186. The
movement of the movable bristle carrier 180 is preferably an
oscillation type movement. As best shown in the cross-sectional
view of FIG. 4, one exemplary movable bristle carrier 180
preferably includes a peripheral wall 187 that defines an
egg-shaped member and extends downwardly from the face 186. The
peripheral wall 187 preferably seats against the carrier support
platform 170 but is permitted to move therealong. The movable
bristle carrier 180 preferably further has a base section 188 that
extends into an opening 189 that is formed in the carrier support
platform 170.
The base section 188 includes the axis of which the movable bristle
carrier 180 pivots about and is preferably arranged in the head 120
closer to the distal end of the head 120. The base section 188 is
most preferably formed in the first portion 182 of the movable
bristle carrier 180 as it is preferred for the movable bristle
carrier 180 to pivot about the circular first portion 182.
Accordingly, the pivot point for the movable bristle carrier 180 is
most preferably at the center of the circular first portion
182.
The base section 188 and the opening 189 have complementary shapes
to permit movement of the base section 188 within the opening 189.
It will be appreciated that the base section 188 may be integrally
formed with portions of the peripheral wall 187 or the base section
188 may be formed inside of the peripheral wall 187. In both
instances, a portion of the base section 188 preferably extends
below the carrier support platform 170 into the inner compartment
121. The base section 188 has one or more slots or openings 193
formed therein. The one or more slots 193 are preferably formed at
a peripheral edge of the base section 188 so that each slot 193 can
fully receive another member.
A post or the like 195 (see FIG. 5) provides a rotational pivot
axis for the movable bristle carrier 180, and more particularly,
provides a pivot axis for the base section 188 thereof. The post
195 has a first end disposed in the head base 160 and an upper end
of the post 195 is coupled to the base section 188 such that the
base section 188 can freely rotate about the axis defined by the
post 195.
In a preferred embodiment, the movable bristle carrier 180 may be a
significantly hollow member underneath the face 186 with the
exception of the base section 188 that extends downwardly from the
face 186.
The toothbrush 100 includes a drive mechanism to effectuate
movement of certain parts of the toothbrush 100 and more
specifically, for causing movement of the movable bristle carrier
180. One exemplary drive mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,625,916 to McDougall, which has been previously incorporated
herein by reference and includes a rotating drive shaft 200 that
extend at least through the neck 106 (i.e., the inner compartment
thereof). The drive shaft 200 has one end (not shown) that is
operatively connected to a drive member (not shown), such as a
motor or any other type of drive device, for imparting movement to
the movable bristle carrier 180. The drive shaft 200 has an
opposing end 202 forming an offset crank such that the end 202 is
not axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft
200. Opposing end 202 is preferably configured to be received in
the slot 193 so that the 360.degree. rotational movement of the
shaft 200 is transmitted into an oscillating back and forth
rotational movement of the movable bristle carrier 180.
It will be appreciated that in one embodiment, the crank end 202 of
the drive shaft 200 engages at least a portion of the slot 193
below the plane that contains the carrier support platform 170. The
carrier support platform 170 has a slot or opening formed therein
to accommodate the rotation of the drive shaft 200 which is fitted
through this slot (opening), with the crank end 202 engaging the
slot 193 of the movable bristle carrier 180. The carrier support
platform 170 is designed to substantially cover the working
components (e.g., the drive shaft 200) to prevent ingress of
foreign matter, including water, toothpaste, etc., into the inner
compartments that house such working components.
The drive mechanism for the powered toothbrush 100 may be any type
of drive, e.g., a rotating drive, an oscillating drive, an
eccentric drive, an unbalanced-generated drive, a drive having one
more gearing mechanisms, and/or any other known drive, that is
capable of performing the intended function. The drive mechanism
may further be realized in the form of an electric motor or other
type of motor. The movement generated by the drive mechanism may be
imparted to one or more sections of the head 120 or to other
elements of the brush section that may be present. The movement may
be imparted directly through a driving axle, such as drive shaft
200 or may be imparted through a driving post attached to the
driving axle. When the toothbrush 100 includes an oscillating drive
mechanism, either identical to or similar to the exemplary drive
mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 1C, the interior
compartment of the handle 102 houses a motor operatively connected
to the drive shaft 200 and a source to power the motor, such as one
or more batteries.
When the drive mechanism is actuated and the drive shaft 200 is
rotated, the movement of the crank end 202 imparts an oscillating
back and forth movement of the movable bristle carrier 180 through
an angle between approximately 10.degree. to 120.degree. and
preferably, the movement is through an angle between approximately
10.degree. to 30.degree.. The preferred reduced oscillatory range
provides the further benefits of reduced cost and complexity of the
toothbrush drive mechanism.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 5, the first set 191 of
bristle tufts is preferably arranged on the first portion 182
generally perpendicular to the face 186. Because the finger 184 is
sloped downward in the direction toward the neck 106, the second
set 192 of bristle tufts is arranged in a series of stepped rows
such that at least some of the bristle tufts are angled relative to
the bristle tufts in the first set 191.
Referring to FIGS. 6 7, and in an alternate embodiment, the movable
bristle carrier 210 has the same construction as the movable
bristle carrier 180 except that the movable bristle carrier 210 may
include not only bristle tufts but also one or more elastomeric
cleaning members. Preferably, in this embodiment, the second set
192 of tooth care elements includes one or more elastomeric members
in the shape of upstanding elastomeric walls. Most preferably, a
series of elastomeric walls 220 may be securely attached to the
finger 184 of the movable bristle carrier 210.
In yet another embodiment, each of the elastomeric walls 220 has an
arcuate shape with one elastomeric wall 220 preferably being spaced
from the next adjacent elastomeric wall. It will be appreciated
that the elastomeric walls 220 may be formed of the same
elastomeric material or different elastomeric materials and the
heights of the elastomeric walls 220 may be the same or different.
In such an alternate embodiment, the heights of the elastomeric
walls 220 are preferably such that the tops of the elastomeric
walls 220 are contained within the same plane.
FIGS. 8 9 illustrate a movable bristle carrier 230 according to yet
another embodiment. The movable bristle carrier 230 is preferably
identical to the movable bristle carrier 180 except that the
movable carrier 230 preferably includes not only bristles but also
one or more elastomeric tooth care elements wherein the second set
192 of tooth care elements includes one or more elastomeric members
240 formed in the shape of extended flags having a generally
sinusoidal thickness. Most preferably, a plurality of elastomeric
flags 240 may be securely attached at base portions 242 to the
finger 184 of the movable bristle carrier 180. The base portion 242
preferably functions as a post for anchoring the elastomeric flag
240 to the finger 184 and a flag body 244 preferably extends
outwardly away from the post 242 at an upper section thereof.
While the flag body 244 is illustrated as having a generally
rectangular shape, it will be appreciated that the flag body 244
may have any number of different shapes (i.e., triangular, etc.).
It will further be appreciated that the elastomeric flags 240 may
be formed of the same elastomeric material or of different
elastomeric materials and the heights of the elastomeric flags 240
may be the same or different. In the illustrated embodiment, the
posts 242 of the elastomeric flags 240 are generally axially
aligned; however, the posts 242 may be offset from one another and
do not have to be axially aligned with one another.
The toothbrush 100 according to the various embodiments disclosed
herein may be made from any number of materials that are suitable
for use in oral care products. For example, many of the components
that are included in the toothbrush 100 are preferably formed from
plastic materials. Accordingly, the handle 102 and head 120 of the
powered toothbrush 100 may be molded from polyolefixens-such as
polypropylenes and polyethylenes, polyamids such as nylons, and
polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate. Other suitable
materials include polymethylmethacrylate, styrene acroylonitrate
and cellulose esters, for example cellulose propionate.
When the tooth care elements are in the form of tufts of bristles,
the bristles of may be made from a flexible material suitable for
dental hygiene. Generally, materials suitable for bristles are
polyamides, such as nylon, or polyesters, such as polybutylene
terephthalate. When the tooth care elements are in the form of
elastomeric members, they may be made from any number of suitable
elastomeric materials, such as a block copolymer. Preferred block
copolymers include styrenes (for example styrene ethylene butadiene
styrene, or styrene butadiene styrene), polyolefins (for example
polypropylene/ethylene propylene diamine modified systems (i.e.
synthetic rubber)), polyamides (for example polyamide (2 or
polyanude 6), polyesters (for example polyester ester or polyether
ester), polyurethanes (for example polyesterurethane,
polyethenuethane or polyesteretherurethane). In addition, natural
or synthetic rubbers can be used.
A powered toothbrush made in accordance with any of the present
embodiment offers a number of advantages over conventional powered
toothbrushes that are presently available. The movable bristle
carrier oscillates back and forth, or moves otherwise, and as the
operator brushes his or her teeth, the oscillating tooth care
elements (i.e., bristle tufts and/or elastomeric members) contact
the surfaces of the teeth and the surrounding areas to deliver
enhanced cleaning, tooth polishing, and/or tooth whitening. The
egg-shaped face of the movable bristle carrier permits the tooth
care elements to be disposed in a number of different patterns and
the increased number of tooth care elements provide increased
contact with gingival tissues and enhanced massaging thereof.
Advantageously, the circular first portion of the movable bristle
carrier is orientated at the distal end of the head and the finger
extends toward and faces the handle, thereby permitting the movable
bristle carrier to pivot without extending distally beyond the
underlying head base and permitting a circular arrangement of
bristles to be provided at the distal end.
Thus, while there have been shown, described, and pointed out
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a
preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various
omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of
the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that
all combinations of those elements and/or steps which perform
substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to
achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another
are also fully intended and contemplated. It is also to be
understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale,
but that they are merely conceptual in nature. It is the intention,
therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the
claims appended hereto.
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